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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · pit · calf · cell · fork · scale · kick · fan

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cell — a phone
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. pit — a hole
  9. scale — in music
  10. cell — in biology
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. can — to be able to
  20. kick — in football
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com